Author(s): Ernest McIvor

History

The Middle East is a region steeped in history that has seen the rise and fall of great civilisations and empires over thousands of years. For certain periods of time it has known peace, but today it is engulfed in conflict - a blood-soaked battleground where nations and armed groups fight for control of land, people, and natural resources. But what are the root causes of the seemingly intractable problems and disputes fuelling wars that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives and produced millions of displaced citizens and homeless refugees? Who is really to blame for the region's descent into a nightmare scenario of killing and destruction? Is there any solution, and what are the implications for the countries beyond in Europe and North Africa? A Dangerous World addresses these questions by examining each of the countries playing a significant role in the geopolitical chess game that today's Middle East has become, and reveals in fascinating detail their present and likely future contribution to the events unfolding in this increasingly unstable meeting point between east and west.